Readings , 1
Many artists of the Baroque period were influenced by Carravagio, often traveling to Rome to do so. This can be seen with one of Lievens' teachers, Pieter Lastman. This aligns with the idea that Carravagio had a long lasting, multi-generational impact on Baroque artists. Given that Lievens was taught from Lastman, who took inspiration from Carravagio, Lievens soon too traveled to study the artisitic skill and style of Carravagio. (Golahny, Amy. “Observations on Lastman, Caravaggio and Rembrandt.” Culture Figurative a Confronto Tra Fiandre e Italia Dal XV al XVII Secolo / a Cura Di Anna De Floriani e Maria Clelia Galassi. N.p., 2008. Pp. 159-161.)
Subject
This painting depicts the story of Lazarus, who died in the absence of Jesus. After Jesus' return, Lazarus was raised from the dead, showcasing a divine miracle. Lievens brings a haunting, almost dreadful feeling to his take on the story of Lazarus. Jesus is seen pensive, but in control of the action he is carrying out. The ray of light emanating behind his head & his head turned upwards almost foreshadows that Jesus will have the same fate as Lazarus. Influences from Rubens and Carravagio can be seen with the use of tenebrism from Carravagio, as well as the bright white highlights Rubens often used for his figures. As mentioned before, both Lievens and Rembrandt were in an artistic rivalry with each other. They would often trade narratives and even technical mastery, which occured with the Rasing of Lazarus. Rembrandt's depiction was an attempt to surpass Lievens' original depiction of the story. Compared to Lievens', Rembrandt's was much more commanding, active, and straightforward of a piece.
Context
Jan Lievens, Raising of Lazarus (1631) oil on canvas, 107 cm (42 in) × 114.3 cm (45.0 in), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton and Hove. Jan Lievens (1607-1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, who was known for his use of light, composition, and narrative within his works. Son of a higher class family, Lievens' father was an embroiderer. Much like Peter Paul Rubens, Lievens grew up as a child prodigy, becoming a student under artist Joris Van Shooten at age 8. Under Shooten, Lievens learned drawing, portraiture, and humanism. At age 10, Lievens went on to study under artist Pieter Lastman with his soon-to-be artistic rival, Rembrant. By age 12, Lievens was a fully fledged artist. He also recieved influence from the group Utrecht Caravaggisti, which were Dutch artists who took inspiration from Carravagio's distinct painting style.
Style
Tenebrism: The use of dramatic rays of light to put emphasis on figures, as well as create contrast. This can be seen with the ray of light emenating from Jesus.Iconographic Contraction: The story of Lazarus can be seen in motion, continuously playing out in one piece. Asymmetrical: As seen within the piece discussed, the composition isn't balanced. The eye darts around the painting from detail to detail, which does in turn capture attention. Emulation: Lievens took inspiration from many artists, taking aspects of their style and creating his own with it. Carravagio and Peter Paul Rubens were huge influences to Lievens in regards to the use of light and shadow within his works.
Readings, 2
Similar to Lievens, Rembrandt also often took inspiration from his mentors. While both were in a rivalry with each other, they were more similar than they thought. Lievens also took pieces of other artists to create his own distinct style, such as Carravagio, Rubens, or Lastman. "There can be no doubt that in the early 1630s Rembrandt followed the examples set by his predecessors in the Amsterdam market and drew inspiration from Werner van den Valckert's compositions. It is also clear that he adapted each 'borrowed' pose or motif to his own needs when he incorporated it into his own work, often intensifying its theatrical character." (Ekkart, Rudolf E. O, and Claire van den Donk. “Rembrandt and Portraiture in Amsterdam.” Rembrandt / Curator of the Exhibition and Edtior of the Catalog Norbert Middelkoop ; with the Special Collaboration of Rudi Ekkart. N.p., 2020. Pp. 78.)
Object Annotation 3: Lastmann/Lievens
Angel Ashurst (aashurst)
Created on February 13, 2026
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Transcript
Readings , 1
Many artists of the Baroque period were influenced by Carravagio, often traveling to Rome to do so. This can be seen with one of Lievens' teachers, Pieter Lastman. This aligns with the idea that Carravagio had a long lasting, multi-generational impact on Baroque artists. Given that Lievens was taught from Lastman, who took inspiration from Carravagio, Lievens soon too traveled to study the artisitic skill and style of Carravagio. (Golahny, Amy. “Observations on Lastman, Caravaggio and Rembrandt.” Culture Figurative a Confronto Tra Fiandre e Italia Dal XV al XVII Secolo / a Cura Di Anna De Floriani e Maria Clelia Galassi. N.p., 2008. Pp. 159-161.)
Subject
This painting depicts the story of Lazarus, who died in the absence of Jesus. After Jesus' return, Lazarus was raised from the dead, showcasing a divine miracle. Lievens brings a haunting, almost dreadful feeling to his take on the story of Lazarus. Jesus is seen pensive, but in control of the action he is carrying out. The ray of light emanating behind his head & his head turned upwards almost foreshadows that Jesus will have the same fate as Lazarus. Influences from Rubens and Carravagio can be seen with the use of tenebrism from Carravagio, as well as the bright white highlights Rubens often used for his figures. As mentioned before, both Lievens and Rembrandt were in an artistic rivalry with each other. They would often trade narratives and even technical mastery, which occured with the Rasing of Lazarus. Rembrandt's depiction was an attempt to surpass Lievens' original depiction of the story. Compared to Lievens', Rembrandt's was much more commanding, active, and straightforward of a piece.
Context
Jan Lievens, Raising of Lazarus (1631) oil on canvas, 107 cm (42 in) × 114.3 cm (45.0 in), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Brighton and Hove. Jan Lievens (1607-1674) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, who was known for his use of light, composition, and narrative within his works. Son of a higher class family, Lievens' father was an embroiderer. Much like Peter Paul Rubens, Lievens grew up as a child prodigy, becoming a student under artist Joris Van Shooten at age 8. Under Shooten, Lievens learned drawing, portraiture, and humanism. At age 10, Lievens went on to study under artist Pieter Lastman with his soon-to-be artistic rival, Rembrant. By age 12, Lievens was a fully fledged artist. He also recieved influence from the group Utrecht Caravaggisti, which were Dutch artists who took inspiration from Carravagio's distinct painting style.
Style
Tenebrism: The use of dramatic rays of light to put emphasis on figures, as well as create contrast. This can be seen with the ray of light emenating from Jesus.Iconographic Contraction: The story of Lazarus can be seen in motion, continuously playing out in one piece. Asymmetrical: As seen within the piece discussed, the composition isn't balanced. The eye darts around the painting from detail to detail, which does in turn capture attention. Emulation: Lievens took inspiration from many artists, taking aspects of their style and creating his own with it. Carravagio and Peter Paul Rubens were huge influences to Lievens in regards to the use of light and shadow within his works.
Readings, 2
Similar to Lievens, Rembrandt also often took inspiration from his mentors. While both were in a rivalry with each other, they were more similar than they thought. Lievens also took pieces of other artists to create his own distinct style, such as Carravagio, Rubens, or Lastman. "There can be no doubt that in the early 1630s Rembrandt followed the examples set by his predecessors in the Amsterdam market and drew inspiration from Werner van den Valckert's compositions. It is also clear that he adapted each 'borrowed' pose or motif to his own needs when he incorporated it into his own work, often intensifying its theatrical character." (Ekkart, Rudolf E. O, and Claire van den Donk. “Rembrandt and Portraiture in Amsterdam.” Rembrandt / Curator of the Exhibition and Edtior of the Catalog Norbert Middelkoop ; with the Special Collaboration of Rudi Ekkart. N.p., 2020. Pp. 78.)